Convertible car.



PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

J. OLEARY. CONVERTIBLE UAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 190a.

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\ NEEEES No; 746,987. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

J. OLEARY. CONVERTIBLE GAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 9, 190a.

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ni'rnn Starlet Patented December 15,. 1903.

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JOHN OLE ARY, OF OOHOES, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LE ROY VERMILYEA, OF OOHOES, NEW YORK.

Q'ONVER'HBLE CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 746,987, dated December 15, 1903. Application filed March 9, 1903. Serial No. 147,000. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN OLEARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oohoes, county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a View in side elevation of a portion of a car embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the broken line 2 2 in Fig. 1, with the panels removed and the catch mechanism for the ceiling-door broken away to show in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken transversely of one of the upright side posts on the broken line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the inner side of the inner or supplementary panel with a portion of one of the side posts shown adjacent thereto. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the broken line 5 5 in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section of the car, taken on the broken line 6 6 in Fig. 1, the side opening at the left-hand side being shown closed and the opening at the right-hand side being shown open and the panels adapted to close the same stored in the chamber above said opening.

The present invention relates to improvements upon the constructions shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 661,921, dated November 13, 1900, and Reissue No. 11,902, dated May 20, 1902, each issued upon an application filed by me for improvements in convertible cars, to which patents reference may be had in connection with the following description for a full understanding of the present invention.

The objects and nature of the present invention will appear in connection with the following description.

Referring to the drawings, the car-body comprises the floor 1, ceiling 2, root 3, and a plurality of vertical posts 4, connecting the roof and ceiling with the floor. Between the roof and ceiling is provided a chamber 5, having a bottom openingbadjacent to the outer wall 7 of the chamber, through which the sash 8 and panel 9 are movable into and out of the chamber. The parts 8 and 9 are panels adapted to close a side opening between neighboring side posts 4, and they'may be of any desired form. The panels are preferably straight and rigid and are adapted to fit into slideway-grooves in the side posts. The upper panel 8 is preferably glazed and may be referred to as a sash, while the lower panel 9is solid and opaque and may be referred to simply as a panel.

Each post i is provided on one side with a slideway-groove 14, adapted to receive edge portions of the panels used for closing a side opening at that side of the post, the two panels being adapted to occupy positions one above the other in the same groove, as shown in Fig. 6, when in position to close the side opening in the car. In like manner the oppositely-located chamber-walls in line with the respective grooved posts are provided each with two slideway-grooves 25-and 26, which extend separate and distinct from each other to a point below the top of the sash when lowered to its closed position, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 6, at which point they merge into the single groove 14 in the post, which is widened so as to freely communicate with both grooves in the chamberwall, as shown in Fig. 2. The object of this construction is to positively prevent the disposition of the sash in the groove in the chamber-wall designed for the panel. The construction is such that when the sash and panel are both located in the chamber the panel occupies a position beneath the sash and across the path thereof and must be removed before the sash can be withdrawn from the chamber. The panel having been wall.

never permitted to leave its groove in the chamber-wall, which insures the location of the sash in its proper groove when stored in the chamber. As the sash must be raised before the panel can be raised, it follows that when the panel is moved up into the chamber it can only be moved into its own groove in the chamber-wall, for the reason that the sash-groove is already occupied. It is thus impossible to improperly locate the sash and panel in the chamber.

The groove 14 in the post is widened at its upper end to permit the panel to be inclined sufficiently to enter the chamber-groove designed to receive it. The sash and panel are preferably guided along the respective grooves by means of pintles 15, projecting laterally from the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the sash and panel and adapted to enter and follow the respective grooves, the body of the sash and panel being of a width adapted to freely move between the neighboring sides of the posts on the inner side of said groove 14 and freely between the grooved chamber-walls or the ribs on said walls, whereby the grooves are formed.

On the outer side of the groove 14 the post is formed with a rib or flange 16, which projects sufficiently to lap the body of the sash or panel and is adapted to abut upon the outer side thereof to make a tight closure for the side opening.

The sash and panel are each separately supported at their lower ends when stored in the chamber, the lower end of the sash being adapted to rest upon a bracket 17, fixed upon the outer Wall of the chamber, and the lower end of the panel upon the movable stop 18, adapted to be moved into and out of the path of the panel. This stop 18 is fixed upon the upper end of a spindle 19, which extends vertically through the lintel 20, which connects together the side posts on opposite sides of a side opening at the outer lower-end of a chamber above said opening. The spindle 19 is provided on the outer side of the lintel with an operating-handle 22, located in an easilywhich position it is at right angles to the lintel, or to occupy a position withdrawn from such path and parallel with and above the lintel, as indicated by dotted lines in such figure.

The sash and panel are adapted to be held to their respective seats upon the bracket 17 and stop 18 by means ofaspring-bufier comprising the leaf-spring 24, mounted upon the inner wall of the chamber and bent to a form adapted to simultaneously engage the upper inner ends, of both the sash and panel.

The bottom opening 6 of the chamber may be closed by a door 10 in the manner set forth in said patent No. 661,921, if desired, and the side posts may be provided with each a groove 37, adapted to guide a curtain 21, mounted on said door, as set forth in said patent. The door 10 may be held closed by means of a spring-catch 12, adapted to enter a socket 13 in a side post.

The side openings preferably extend from the lintel to the car-floor.

When it is desired to convert the car into a closed or winter car for a long period of use in cold and inclement weather, an inside supplemental panel 38 is provided, adapted to fit between the side posts on the inner side of the outside panel 8. The supplemental panel may be located in the lower portion of the curtain-groove 37, being admitted thereto by removing a detachable section 31 of the rib on the inner side of said groove orin any known manner. The supplemental panel is adapted to extend from the floor upwardly, and to adapt the panel to inequalities in the floor a weather-stri p 30 is ad justably mounted thereon by means of screws 32, inserted through slots 33 in the strip into the panel, whereby the position of the strip relatively to the panel can be varied to secure a tight joint between the lower end of the panel and the floor under varying conditions. The supplemental panel may be locked in position by means of a cam-clamp 39, which may be of any known form or in any other known manner. Hinged to the upper end of the supplemental panel is a leaf 34, the swinging end of which is adapted to engage the neighboring outside panel 9 and cover and close the air-space between said panels under varying conditions and in different positions 6f the supplemental panel, whereby a tight joint can be secured between the lower end of the supplemental panel and the floor and between the upper end thereof and the outside panel under all circumstances. The hinged leaf permits access to the space between the panels for the introduction of sawdust or other filling, if desired, as shown at 40. On each of the opposite sides of each side opening is preferably located a rigid bar 41, which extends diagonally from an intermediate portion of the upright post to the sill 42 of the car, being secured at its opposite ends to said post and sill, respectively, by bolts or rivets 43. This diagonal bar not only alfords a convenient grasp for the hand of a person entering or leaving the car through a side opening, but makes an effective brace for the post and materially strengthens the construction.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a carand in combination, a pair of side posts provided on their neighboring sides each with a groove adapted to receive a pair of panels; roof members provided each with a pair of panel-receiving grooves merginginto said groove in a side post at a point below the upper end of the top panel when lowered; a pair of panels adapted to be supported on their several vertical sides in the same postgroove and separately in the respective grooves in a roof member and means for supporting in the chamber the lower of two panels with its lower end beneath and across the path of the upper panel.

2. In a car, the combination with a car-body provided with a chamber located abovea side opening, and having panel-supporting and guiding side posts extending downwardly from said chamber on opposite sides of the side opening and a lintel extending between said posts at the lower end of said chamber; of a panel adapted to be supported and guided by said side posts and movable into and out of said chamber; a panel-supporting stop movable into and out of the path of said panel above the lintel at the lower end of said chamber; and stop-operating mechanism extended through the lintel exteriorly thereof.

3. In a car, the combination with the car-body having upright posts on opposite sides of a side opening; of movable outside panels located between said posts for closing said side opening; a supplemental panel detachably secured between said posts on the inner side of the outside panels contiguous to the carfloor; and a leaf hinged to the top of the supplemental panel with its swinging end adapted to engage an adjacent outside panel and cover and close the space between said panels.

4. In acanthe combination with the car-body having a pair ofnpright posts on opposite sides of a side opening; of a panel fitting between said posts adjacent to the car-floor; and a floor-engaging weather-strip adj ustably mounted on said panel.

5. In a car, the combination with thecar-b0dy having upright posts on opposite sides of a side opening; of movable outside panels located between said posts for closing said side opening; a supplemental panel detachably secured between said posts on the inner side of the outside panels contiguous to the carfioor; a leaf hinged to the top of the supplemental panel with its swinging end adapted to engage an adjacent outside panel and cover and close the space between said panels; and a car-floor-en gag-in g weather-strip adj ustably mounted on the inside panel.

6. In a car,the com bi nation with the car-bod; having a chamber adapted to receive panels used to close a side opening; of a pair of panels adapted to close a side opening in the car; means for guiding the panels into and out of said chamber; a leaf-spring bufier in said chamber bent to engage the upper end of each of said panels; and means for supporting the lower ends of the panels in the chamber.

7. In acar, the combination with the car-body having a sill, and side posts erected therefrom on opposite sides of a side opening; of a rigid bar extending diagonally between, and connecting, the sill and an intermediate portion of a side post, and adapted to serve both as a brace for said post and as a grasp for the hand of a person passing through said side opening.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of February, 1903.

JOHN OLEARY. 

